Separate Paths, United Fates
by hybrid2
Summary: In hopes of explaining the plot better, this is a grafting of characters from several game worlds. Unfortunately, some characters will seem original unless you really like to play videogames.
1. The Trenz Family

The Trenz family  
  
"NO!!!" the woman screamed, "I won't allow it! You'll get yourself killed!!"  
"But mother-,"  
"NO! And that's final!" she interrupted her son.  
"Just because father was a soldier and got killed-" the oldest attempted.  
"I said NO!" she yelled once more, "Don't argue with me!"  
"Mother, you can't protect us all our lives," the oldest son pointed out.  
"None of my sons will be fighters! It's not safe!" she glowered, "They'll all have quiet jobs, like accountants or tax collectors."  
"Like that's really safe," The middle son drawled.  
"You stay out of this, Miki!" The mother glared.  
"Mother, please, not the nickname, you know I-" he squawked.  
"Miki, shush!" she glared, and this time, it was enough to force him to send his brown eyes to the ground, so that his black bangs covered his face.  
"Mama," the youngest stood, his blue eyes wide, and just barely visible between his dangling black bangs, "What's so bad about soldiers?"  
"They get themselves killed, Ryo, honey," the mother crouched down, subtly needling her two older sons through the youngest's question, "And make their mommas and wives worry and be real sad."  
"Mother," the oldest's amber eyes flashed, and he ran his hands through his hair, the only common trait he and his brothers had, "It's not like that. I just want to learn to defend myself. If I can't fight back, I'll really get killed!"  
"You're leaving home," his mother stood, glaring, "And a perfectly nice girl, to learn to fight. You'll forget your home, and get yourself killed! I won't allow it! You will not go! And you, Miki, get those dreams of being a knight out of your head. The knighthood is even worse. They get themselves killed not only in battle, and on command, but at the capricious command of that bucket of lard, Sir Poratev!!"  
"Mother!" her middle son spluttered, "he's not that bad, he's just old!"  
"That's even worse!" she yelled, "He's forgotten what battle is, so he just arbitrarily sends his men out, not thinking of their true skills! Or the dangers!"  
The argument escalated, and the oldest son quietly and unobtrusively snuck out the door. The only clue as to his departure was when the clip- clop of horse's hooves sounded nearby, moving away at a brisk trot.  
"Alen!" she ran to the window, slammed it open, and screamed out, "Get back here!" 


	2. The Brinz Family

The Brinz family  
  
"Grr" the blondish man on horseback growled under his breath, "When I find that pond suckin' leech, I'll-"  
"You're still broodin'?" his companion interrupted, "Thought ye'd said y' were done wi' that."  
"It's just that when we get s' close" the first looked up, "an' then miss him, I could just bust somethin' up."  
"Well" his partner shook his head and auburn hair danced about, "Tha's 'cause ye keep dallyin'."  
"HEY!" the first yelped, "I'm lookin' for my other brother too! It's not like I'm starin' at girls!"  
"'t may not be your primary concern," his friend snickered, "But ye sure dinna hesitate t' chase 'em!"  
"That's only because you all but panic when they come after you," the man began to retaliate, "An' you're so busy readin' them books!"  
"Face it, Camus," the younger one's strangely dark eyes were serious for the moment, "Ye're not likely t' find either brother. Their trails 'r too cold."  
"Shut up!" he growled, "I'll find 'em! Then I'll give Grens what for 'n try to help Cye get over what happened!"  
"All th' same, friend," the younger waved, and stopped his horse's canter, "I'll be goin' no further. I've a feelin' this place'll need m' help, but I canna figger out why. Keep the horse, 'twere yours t' begin with."  
"Maybe we'll meet again," the older one waved as he continued on, "An' maybe you'll actually find your family again." 


	3. Mystery Knight

Mystery Knight  
  
I saw the sword first-off. My first impression was that the blade was as tall as the boy was tall. Considering that he was about six foot tall, that's no small amount. Then I noticed that the blade was only about about half to two thirds his height. I fancied then, that this sword was the sharpest I'd ever seen. I later learned that he also had in his possession, a green- glowing one that was not only longer, and sharper, but also had its own eerie aura.  
All the same, this ridiculously slender boy was flashing it about, not only as if he knew what he was up to, but also as if it weighed nothing. This was the first of many improbable- impossibilities he had that I noticed.  
Right along with that, I noticed that, although he'd seemed oblivious to our presence, as we reached him, he turned and acknowledged our existence with a wry grin.  
"Don' tell me" he spoke with a lilting accent, "Th' villagers be afraid 'o me, swingin' this stick about? An' you're all here t' tell me I'm in trouble, eh?"  
"Sort of," our commander hesitated, "They think you are an assassin, a mercenary, or a bounty hunter out to kill someone."  
"Or worse," the other commander quipped, "All three."  
The boy smiled. It wasn't much of a smile, and it gave me the feeling that he felt able to take anything any of us could dish out. This rather infuriated me, and without thinking, I growled, "Impudent little jack, isn't he?"  
The commanders looked at one another and grinned, "Takes one to know one, doesn't it?" the blue knight leader looked at me, "If you think you can, why don't you try taking him on?"  
"Oh, bravo," the lad clapped sarcastically, "Send an underling. If I led a bunch o' warriors, I'd not send them t' do something I'd ne'er done, or were t' scared to."  
"Why you-," the red knight leader's temper was inflamed, as the lad had intended, so Sir Brinz swung at him. Sir Brinz swung wildly at the boy, whose only response was to jump back. Then the swings became more moderated, calmer, and more deliberated.  
"Ho," the boy finally began fighting back, "Good t' see y' aren't just a hot head. Too bad your friend's a coward." which had the desired effect of rankling Sir Trenz to the point that he also began fighting. For a second or two, Sir Brinz looked as though he might step back, but the boy drew a second sword, the green one, and began to fight them equally.  
He almost seemed to be two people. One knight would swing, and he'd block it. The other would slash and he'd deflect it. Both would attack and he'd arrange his blades to cause theirs to bounce off each other. None of us had ever seen blade work like that. Not even among the White Knights.  
As though thinking of them conjured them, they and their Commander, Sir Poratev, arrived in the small- and getting smaller- clearing in the forest behind the village. Sir Poratev not only led the White Knights but the whole Knightdom overall as well. Unfortunately, he didn't see much battle anymore, so he'd filled out accordingly.  
It didn't take long for Sir Poratev to assess the situation, "Camus! Miklotov! Stand down!" The two immediately jumped away from the fight. The boy sheathed both his weapons in one smooth motion, as though there had never been people fighting him. Even a few White Knights were impressed, and they're all cynics about swordplay.  
"I can't believe that the two of you, supposedly the best, could not defeat a mere child one- on- one, much less two- on- one," he began dressing them down, "And I find it hard to believe that you two deserve your ranks if your tempers are so easily combusted. If not for the fact that I cannot find soldiers that value their honor so much, you would be stripped of your ranks as Knights!"  
Both of them paled, then looked to the ground. At this point, the boy stepped forward and proved that his intentions were not malignant toward us Knights,at least, "Whoever y' are, these 'knights' as y' called them, were only defendin' their honor, an' the honor o' all th' other knights. They were investigatin' my practice, and I picked on them a tad much."  
"Well," Sir Poratev seemed a bit taken back, "Well."  
"Just what were you up to?" Sir Trenz asked.  
"I was merely practicin'," the boy shook his head, "I'm a bit rusty. I'm also headed for a 'Harmonia.' I was told that t'was North o' Highland, which was North o' Jowston. I came from Rune."  
"Ah," Sir Poratev nodded, "the Grasslands. It explains the accent."  
"No, Rune," the boy argued, "I never heard of any 'Grasslands.'"  
"People 'round here consider Rune t' be the Grasslands," Sir Brinz drawled.  
"Don' seem too happy 'bout that," the boy grinned and shook his head, letting the reddish- brown hair flop around his face. At that point, Sir Brinz gave him an odd look, then smiled quietly and laughed.  
"Long time, no see, Max," he shook his head as well, "Why are you going to Harmonia?"  
"Well," the boy flung his arms high into the air, then behind his head, "I think Harmonia'll need my help."  
"If that's not a leadin' statement," Sir Brinz looked to Sir Poratev, "Do you think he'd be of any use?"  
"Hmmph," Poratev assessed the boy- young man- carefully, "How long have you known him, Camus?"  
"I met him about a year before I came here," he thought for a minute, "I always thought of him as stodgy. Too cautious, too patient, too eager to learn."  
"Sounds perfectly fine to me," Poratev offered, "Would you mind being a trainer?"  
"Train these chaps t' sit, beg, or roll over?" Max didn't seem to understand, but was actually needling the older man, "I think I could teach a few of them. Mind you, I choose who I teach, and I'm not stayin' forever."  
"Miklotov," Poratev ordered, "For now, he'll take on the status of a Blue Knight. I think he may give you a run for your money."  
"Just my luck," Sir Trenz said under his breath, then, "Yes, sir. Is it safe to assume we'll be returning to Rockaxe now, sir?"  
"Quite," Sir Poratev agreed, casting a leery look about him, "But don't all of you rush to mess at once. I'd like for this lad to assess you all, decide who he'll tutor, then I wish to have a conference with him."  
"Sir," all of us saluted, standing completely straight, except for the youngster.  
I still haven't heard his last name, not from Sir Brinz, or him, and he left about a month after he came. He trained three men, one in each sect of Knights: Sir Brinz, Sir Trenz, and Sir Baduin, a new recruit who quickly won Poratev's favor and became his second in command. We've none of us, seen him since. That is really quite eerie. 


	4. Grassland Grousings

Grassland Grousings  
  
When I first met him, I figured Miklotov for a stodgy, boring, dried up, stick. Even worse than Max. `Course, it is due to Miklotov's' tutoring that I don't sound like a Grasslander any more. Over the course of being around him, I got to liking him better.  
Since we were knights-or at least almost- and we joined at about the same time, we wound up roommates. At first, Miklotov drove me nuts with the way he kept his side of the room. Having never had to share a room, I was at first unaware that Mik's machinations were the result of cramming three boys into a room that would barely hold one comfortably.  
He kept the borders of the room clearly defined, my side was mine, and I'd best stay out of his. There was a path between both halves that he didn't mind leaving neutral.  
As he got used to having all the room he needed, the rules got more lax. I knew he'd stopped dividing the room when I was asked to retrieve something of his.  
When our room was divided, he was sloppy, a really messy person to live with, but somehow, afterward, he turned into a neat freak, like me. By that time, we'd become friends, and he started to tell me about his home. I told him a little bit about my two brothers, and the boy he reminded me of. He couldn't understand why I thought it so strange for a fourteen-year-old to me more interested in books than in females. But, then again, this is the same guy that has serious, chronic, foot-in-mouth syndrome.  
Then he actually met Max.  
It almost hurt my feelings how quickly Mik warmed up to him. The two actually got on like wood and fire, but acted like fire and water. It was uproariously funny for us to hear the other knights wonder when the two of them would be at each other's throats.  
I never figured Max would turn out to be a swordsman, much less one that wielded two. He's a good kid, though, and taught a bunch of us to move faster, though he wouldn't teach both blades. Mik, much as he tried, couldn't benefit much from Max's instruction. In fact, Max even came right out and told him not to bother, as poking wasn't his style. But Miklotov paid him no heed, and it just slowed him down even further.  
When Highland fell, Mik and I went back to Matilda and reformed the knights. When they tried to get us to take on the mantle of leadership, we politely told them no, and left as fast as we could. At first Miklotov had no idea what to do with himself, so I decided to show him why the `Grasslands' is a misnomer to my home.  
He's opening up to the people around us. Though he's still a bit stiff around strangers, he's no longer a stick in the mud. But I think he's hopeless as far as women go. That foot-in-mouth is permanent for him. 


	5. Revelations in Green

Revelations in Green  
  
Things are so much simpler when you're young. I had always been fascinated by the Scarlet Moon Empire. The succession wasn't by blood, or alliance, but by war and battle. Back home, that was considered mad, barbaric, and by some, even evil.  
No one understood my fascination, so I was all but ostracized. Eventually, I decided to to some `in person' research. So I left. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, honestly.  
I encountered a village of humans who were rather militant. They were literally beating a man to death, and so I jumped in to help him, fool that I was. I was nearly killed as well, and we would have died if the Imperial Army hadn't intervened.  
I think of it as both a bloody-minded joke, and a gift. As it turns out, the kid that Alen was being attacked because of later joined a rebellion that well, you know already what that led to.  
It also sounds like the boy had been hurt, and Alen was trying to help, but the billage, a bunch of hotheads, Flik's a perfect example, took in the sight and assumed Alen had done the damage. He doesn't talk about it, but later they sent him a formal apology. The kid, Flik, made all of the village warriors sign it. Did I mention that Flik's almost impossibly stubborn?  
Well, when we recovered, Alen and I swore allegiance, fealty, loyalty, whatever you want to call it, to the leader of the soldiers who saved us. We never regretted it.  
Well, maybe we did when he died.  
So when Alen got fed up with standing beside the President's chair all day after the Empire became the Toran Republic, we both took off. I was curious about this `Matilda' he spoke of, so I went with him when he decided to go home.  
We discovered that they wee looking for people to lead the newly reformed knights. I'm still not completely sure how that came about, comes from being on the sidelines. But neither Alen nor I was willing to take the job, so we left Matilda to wander around Muse for a few days.  
Then I decided to show him my home. He almost got strangled when he said, "What, the Grasslands?" Yes, I have a temper, but bunching Rune, Parmecia, Granseal, Karaya, Chisya, Camaro and Iom together like that just pushes my buttons.  
When we reached Tinto, we encountered this curious fellow called Max. He walked about with a sword strapped to either side of his waist, and was followed rather closely by this metal- thing- that spoke eloquently enough, though it continually called him `Master Max' no matter how many times he asked it not to. There was a blonde guy traveling with him as well as a guy with whitish- purple hair. I never caught the names of the other three, as Max glanced at me, froze, looked again and blinked then walked right up to me.  
He said my younger brother was `rather peeved,' and quite likely to' beat the snot' out of me right after he greeted Alen.  
The two humans with him seemed as flummoxed as Alen and I when he did that, but even the mechanical oddity looked nonplused when he waved, turned and just seemed to disappear.  
What'd he do, train with ninjas?  
  
0x08 graphic 


	6. Matildan Musings

Matildan Musings  
  
None of us are completely certain how it wound up that mother got so overprotective. My younger brother was too young to remember her any way but. And my older brother is just as in the dark about it as I am.  
Our family was fairly normal, at least for our region. Father was a knight, a knight of Matilda to be exact. Mother was an item sales woman. Between the two of them, they seemed successful in raising three young sons. Or, at least, to me they did.  
Though I haven't seen either in a long time, I can describe both of my brothers fairly well. I have to be able to, if I hope to ever find them.  
It's really sad how we all separated. Mother was insisting that my older brother remain at home and hold down a `safe' job like tax collecting and he wanted to join the military. He couldn't join Jowston's because father had been well-known enough throughout Jowston that mother's wishes for them to not accept him were adhered to.  
So he went to the enemy.  
Honestly, it's not as though he had slim choices. The City-State of Jowston was enemies with most of the Grasslands, or as my friend tells me, Rune and other countries, as well as with Highland, Harmonia, and the Scarlet Moon Empire.  
Which now happens to be called the Toran Republic. But that's another story.  
The day he left, our whole family got involved in the argument. My older brother couldn't understand why she was so adamant about him remaining at home. Truly, neither did I, but as I wished to be a knight myself, my brother had to get permission so I could use it in my interests. Mercenary, yes, but knighthood was, in mother's eyes, more dangerous, and therefore, less acceptable, and so I needed anything I could get to help me convince her to let me become a knight.  
So when he dragged me and my wish to become a knight into the shouting match, I knew I no longer stood a chance. I figured it was all I could do to keep from being `persuaded' into the family business. Her dream for me. My personal nightmare. I am now haunted by the irony of it, but that can wait.  
He dashed off as mother started to tell me to cease dreaming hopelessly. My younger brother noticed it first, heading to the window, where I followed him, as mother ran to the door to try calling him back.  
Something faded at that final, utter moment of defiance from Alen. She turned from the door after he disappeared, looked at me with blank, dead brown eyes, and told me to pack and leave.  
I didn't think twice about it. I dashed to my third of the bedroom we boys shared, and packed. When I returned, the door was still open, and mother stood, with a sheet of parchment in one hand.  
She told me it was permission for me to join the knights. Then she told me to never come back, as she and her only son were leaving in the morning for her native land.  
I'd never known before that she was not a Matilda native.  
I left, and haven't seen any of them since. I can't bring myself to be angry about it, as I consider it at least partly my fault. Camus is always telling me it's not my burden to bear, but I can't agree.  
Oh, about the item trade irony. I've found that my detailed knowledge of safe and toxic plants has saved lives more times than I could have dreamed.  
Dr. Huan certainly thought it strange when I told him that a stronger herbal treatment would result if he stewed the plants for an hour less. And Alex blinked when I told him how to divide the potions in a more efficient manner. It at least was humorous for Camus to observe.  
I do now understand why Camus and that strange youth were so adamant about not lumping the Plains countries together. Each individual nation is so spectacularly different. It amazes me every day to see all the mew faces, differing beliefs and, er, strange costumes.  
Not that they think mine is exactly normal. 


	7. Revelations in Red

Revelations in Red  
  
I honestly miss my brothers, and wonder if mom ever let up. One may have been young enough that it seemed normal, but I know Mickey hated it too.  
He also hates that nickname, but it was Ryo's best attempt at `Miklotov.' After `Mikodoff' and `Dikoff,' and a few other, funnier, tries, Miklotov told Ryo to just call him Mik. Of course, the first time an overjoyed Ryo spoke to him, it changed to Mickey, and stuck.  
But when I left, I have to wonder what happened. I also have to admit that I left Mickey out to dry. I'm sorry for that but I had to take the opportunity as I had it.  
Of course, I have other regrets. I dashed out on my own, and that has to be both the worst mistake and the best thing I have ever done. It nearly got me killed, but I also met my best friends, Master Teo, and was allowed to be part of the creation of the Toran Republic.  
Ironically, the event that nearly killed me also almost killed my two friends, Flik and Grenseal. Flik didn't stick around long, as it was his village that attacked me, but that's a tale for another time. Grenseal rushed in and stood by my side, until Teo and his men arrived. When I woke from my injuries, I swore allegiance to Teo. So did Gren.  
At the time, Teo's son was on the verge of his teenage years, and his friend, Ted, though he looked the same age, held a secret. Gren could never figure out why I avoided the boy.  
Turns out I have something of a divining gift when it comes to runes. I don't usually talk about it, but Master Teo told me that my ability to tell who had a rune or not, and what rune matched which person was rare, and called, well, the name escapes me right now.  
So I was disconcerted when Young Master Ryan turned up to fight his father as the leader of the rebels, and I sensed the same thing with him as I had with Ted.  
I told Master Teo, and he asked what the feeling was, exactly. When I told him it felt like the rune was hungry for souls, he named it the `Soul Eater.'  
All I could think was, `And we're fighting that?' But Master Teo actually seemed happy. Gren explained it to me by saying Master Teo saw an opportunity to always be able to watch over his son.  
So I wasn't surprised when Master Teo attacked his son desperately instead of normally, nor when he asked us to aid the Young Master. We'd seen what was happening to the Empire, and only our loyalty to Master Teo kept us there.  
When the empire fell, Gren and I accepted the jobs of Commander to the military of the new country, and promptly forced Jowston back out of Moravia.  
Niether of us was surprised that Viktor and Flik disappeared, but we were shocked when the Jowston liberation convoy arrived in Gregminster, and that Flik and Viktor stood alongside them. I think those two, and Sheena, were the reason Lepant allowed Kasumi and troops to aid them.  
Pity we couldn't send more people.  
Now that that's over, I decided to go home, since my status as a Toran Soldier would no longer get me killed. I traveled all the way back to Matilda, and discovered that the knights had dissolved, reformed, and were currently looking for new leaders. Since Gren came with me, and neither of us are suited to such a role, we lit out of there like our backsides were on fire.  
So now we're heading to the `Grasslands,' or as Gren indignantly tells me, as it's his home, Rune, Parmecia, Granseal, Karaya, and so many other tiny countries that I can never remember them all.  
A few days ago, we ran into this kid, called Max, who warned Gren to beware, as his little brother was seriously out to get him.  
I never knew he had family. 


End file.
